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-   -   Linux and Gigabyte AMD Mobo? (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-hardware-18/linux-and-gigabyte-amd-mobo-120612/)

horsiedad 11-27-2003 09:37 PM

Linux and Gigabyte AMD Mobo?
 
I am considering making the jump to Linux. It’s kind of scary for this Microsoft geek of over twenty years. I plan to use RedHat/Fedora Linux.

I am going to build a dedicated PC for Linux, employing a Gigabyte GA-7VM400M mobo with an AMD Athlon XP 2500+ processor. The mobo specs are as follows:

Supported CPU: AMD Athlon™ XP / Athlon™ /Duron™
Form Factor: Micro ATX
Chipset: NB VIA KM400, SB VIA 8235
FSB: 333/266/200 MHz
RAM: 2x 184-pin DIMM for DDR333/266/200 up to 2GB
IDE: 2 x UDMA ATA133/100/66 Bus Master IDE ports
Slots: 1 x AGP slot (8X/4X-AGP 3.0 compliant), 3 x PCI slots (PCI 2.2 compliant)
Ports: 2xPS/2 , 1 x VGA, 1 x RJ45, 6 x USB2.0(Rear 2/Front 4), 1 x LPT, 1 x COM, Audio (1 x Line-in / 1 x Line-out / 1 x Mic)
Onboard LAN: Integrated Realtek 8100C Ethernet 10/100M LAN
Onboard Audio: Realtek ALC650 codec Audio
Onboard Video: Integrated UniChrom 2D/3D

I’m trying to keep the costs down and this seems to be a cost effective mobo, with its on-board sound and video. I don’t worry about games or need to overclock. Will this mobo work with Linux. Will I have any driver problems with the Realtek sound or UniChrom video? Any alternative mobo suggestions?

TIA!

theparadigm 12-16-2003 06:55 AM

None what-so-ever.

shack 12-16-2003 08:47 AM

My desktop system has an Athlon 2600, GA-7VT600-1394 (I think this is the best value M/B, even though it has no onboard video), 256MB DDR400, 120GB WD CaviarSE HDD (JB model, 8MB cache), S3 Trio64V+ (1MB VGA card). Personally, I reccommend a system like this, except with a better graphics card. Check out Gigabyte's comparison sheet for K7/Athlon motherboards to see the difference between the various M/Bs:
http://tw.giga-byte.com/MotherBoard/...e_Socket+A.htm

Do you really want or need a Micro ATX mobo?

My thoughts on the GA-7VM400M: it's not very extensible. I have no idea how well the graphics card will work, but I would get a cheap AGP card (I'd go with a Geforce4 - the drivers are easier to set up, from what I've heard) and not use the onboard video. You never know when you might want better graphics!

My mobo has firewire and SATA onboard - both appear to be the way of the future. It also supports DDR400, which doesn't cost much more than DDR333. But the most important thing for me is the 5 PCI slots. I want to be able to plug as much as possible in, in case I need to at some later date. The 8 USB ports are of little consequence. I strongly reccommend this mobo (GA-7VT600-1394), as it is future-friendly and is rather cheap for what you get with it. I got mine for AUD$108, and they're now a little cheeper than that.

If you don't know, AUD means Australian Dollar.
___
shack


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